This invention relates to a miniature switch having fixed contacts arranged in two rows on the top side of a switch base, and terminals connected with the fixed contacts and arranged in a single linear row on the bottom side of the switch base.
A conventional miniature switch includes a switch toggle lever, an actuator block operated by the toggle lever, a movable contactor which moves together with the actuator block, and fixed contacts which are selectively contacted by the movable contactor. The fixed contacts are arranged in two rows on the top side of a switch base, and each fixed contact has a terminal formed integral therewith. The terminals are similarly arrayed in two rows corresponding to the fixed contacts and are led out from the bottom side of the main body of the switch. When the miniature switch is mounted on a printed circuit board, the distal end portions of the two rows of terminals led out from the rear side of the switch main body, namely from the side opposite the toggle lever, are connected to printed wiring patterns on the printed circuit board.
However, when the conventional switch described above is mounted on the printed circuit board, a large amount of labor is expended in bending the terminals and the fact that the switch occupies a large area of the printed circuit board is an impediment to reducing the size of the device using the switch.